St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-16
San Francisco Bankers, Merchants and
Manufacturers Declare the Fourth
Section Means Ruin. '' 'se
An Opposition Statement From Sugar
Makers Not in the Spreckles
Ring.
A Vail From Indianapolis Expert
mental Trip of a Vestibule Par
Ior Train.

much loss, and nothing but quick and wise
actlon on your part can save our coast from
tremendous losses sure to follow the illiberal
or narrow Interpretation of the fourth sec
tion OF the interstate bill. We ask a suspen-
sion or the long haul clause, temporarily at
least, until our position can be placed before
your honorable body. tatl.l 80 70
Inns bears the signature of eight princi-
pal banking institutions of San Francisco
A RIGID ENFORCEMENT
OF the fourth clause of the interstate COM
MERGE bill will work irreparabe ruin to our
vineyard, fruit and salmon interests, will
divert the shipments of teas from China and
Japan to the Suez canal route, and the coffees
OIL central America to Europe, and blight
ana destroy the industries of this coast,
whlch have involved a lifetime of labor and
saving to build. That which was intended By
congress as boon to the people will prove an
lrreparable calamity to the Pacific slope
unleSS early relief is granted. We earnestly
crave prompt and liberal Interpretation of
the fourth section Of the bill. protecting US
from Impending disaster otherwise newt
able. W ~ COrpu.NS 70
CASTLE Bros.
AT special meeting of all the parties in
terested in our wool trade, representing deal
ers, commission merchants and wool-growers
we were appointed q committee to petition
your honorable body to suspend the operation
or section four of the interstate commerce
law III the transportation of wool by rail from
this state to Boston, New York, Philadelphia
ana other shipping points. 1.-The established
rate OF 70-l0O cents per pound is excessive.
and prohibits shipments overland. The wool
production OF this state amounts to 40, 1000, 900
unions OF pounds per year, and the differ
ence between
THE OLD AND NEW RATES
OF freight involves a loss of over 81, 900, 900
annually to the growers. We do not believe
nf
ing this law to so seriously cripple the in
dustry, after enacting from time to time
suitable tariff protection, which is Offset by
heavy freight charges which we are called
upon to pay under the operations of this act,
and we cannot believe our government wishes
10 force the transportation Of our wool
through foreign countries to secure lower
rates OF transportation than our railroads are
allowed to charge, when said roads are ready
ana willing to give US satisfactory rates if
only allowed to do so. 1t is clearly to the in
terest OF our people that the labor and capital
OF our country should get the benefit of the
money which we would have to pay foreign
corporations for freight and charges, which
WOULD amount to very large sum. If we
are unable to secure competing rates from
our own railroads our only relief is the sus-
pension OF section four as far as the same
appiies to wool and pelts, and we earnestly
and urgently petition your honorable body
Tor Its immediate suspension to enable US to
market our woods at once, which are rapidly
accommodating
This is signed by the chairman and MEM
Ders OF the committee. The commission has
also received by mail the petition of the
AMERICAN SUGAR REFINING CO.,
OF San francisco. 1t sets forth that the
immediate effect of the fourth section unless
modified, will be to entirely destroy the
business of distributing the products of our
manufactury in the states of the Mississippi
valley. The company has over 81, 600. 900
invested in machinery and material devoted
to the manufactury OF refined sugar, and
has large contracts on future business in
Yolvlng many millions of dollars based on
facilities and opportunities offered by over
land routes The enforcement of the law
will destroy its trade and capital. The rail-
roads are willing to continue the old rates
and the petitioners ask that they be per-
mltted to do so. Fourteen sugar refining
establishments of New York and Phila-
delphla unite in letter to tine commission.
They understand that the Pacific railroads
are about to make application to be relieved
from the operation of section four. Before
their request is granted the refners request
an
OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD
in opposition. lit is alleged" they saw.
THAT the Pacific railroads have been carry
ing sugar at $40 per ton from San Francisco
to the Missouri river points, while charging
Salt Lake City about $25 per ton upon the
shorter distance. The result has been that
eastern refiners were entirely excluded from
market which geographically belongs to
them upon all grades of sugars made by the
San Francisco retineries. The commission
ers gave hearing to-day to the representa-
tive of the Richmond, Fredericksburg g.
Potomac Railroad company, who made an
argument in favor Of the suspension of the
operation of the fourth section of the act
so far as it applies to that road, on account
OF the water competition which the road
has to meet. The representatives of several
roads running upward from Peoria, ILL.,,
were heard in support of petitions for the
suspension of the operation of the fourth
section so far as it applies to the transport
tation of grain Eastward. They set forth
the peculiar circumstances of competition
under which the Peoria market Iabored.
both with water lines and trunk lines from
Chicago and St. Louis. The statistics of
the trade and Of the revenues of the rail-
roads were given in detail. A representa-
tive of the Cape Fear & Yadkin Valley
railroad of North Carolina made brief
argument in support of petition to be
permitted to meet competition at junction
points.
During the recess between the morning
and afternoon sessions the commission
CHANGED IT'S QUARTERS
from the rooms of the geological survey to
its permanent abode in the Sun building.
The published statement that the commits
sion has appointed secretary is pronounced
incorrect, as is also that to the effect that a
decision was reached yesterday with respect
to excursion rates. No session was held
yesterday, and no decision upon that
subject has been made. A large number of
petitions have been received from theat-
real people asking suspension Of the law
as applied to the amusement profession,
and such an Interpretation of the law as
will permit railroad companies to grant re-
duced rates as heretofore. The commits
sion has replied that it cannot presume to
determine what the policy of the railroads
shall be in this regard. This is substan-
TALLY a declination to make ruling
on the subject in advance of
an actual complaint alleging an
infraction of the law in some regards. a
long communication has been received from
the executive committee of the Chicago
freight bureau, an association composed OF
merchants, manufacturers and the Chicago
board of trade, protesting against the sus-
pension of the long and short haul feature
especially as affecting the territory north of
the Ohio and east of the Mississippi rivers,
excepting on Pacific coast traffic and that
conditionally. The law about such suspen-
sion is believed by the association to be
mot only best for the country at large, but
for the future successful operation of the
law in the territory named" The tenn
porary suspension of the provision with
regard to the South was in the Judgment
Of the association the
ONLY PRACTICAL SOLUTION
of the difficulty presented, but it s'yiews